Internal-combustion heater.



C. S. FRANK.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1915.

' Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH .CO WASHINGTON. D. C.

superheating the UNITED STATES CARL S. FRANK, OF WICHI'I'A, KANSAS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June so, 1915. Serial nojsveoz.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL S. FRANK, a citizen of United States, residingat'Wichita, in the county of Sedgwick, State of Kansas, have inventednew in Internal-Combustion Heaters, of which the following is adescription.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in internalcombustion heaters for stoves, furnaces, grates, or the like and moreparticularly to that class adapted for burning hydrocarbon gases .andgas from alcohol, and my object is to pro vide a plurality of pipesections for the reception of the liquids and gases, and inclose thesame in a suitable housing'whereby the entire mechanism may be readilyintroduced into the fire box of a stove or other convenient point.

A further object is to provide gas jets and so arrange the same thatthey will convert the liquids into gases while passing through the pipesections.

A further object is to provide suitable expansion chambers to receiveand store excess gases.

A furtherobject is to provide suitable ventilating openings for thepipes and burners. And a further object is to provide ageneratingchamber for pipe sections previous to admitting the gas pipes.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth and moreparticularly pointed out in the accompanying specification.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this application,Figure l is a top plan view of the heating device with the covertherefor removed, and Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional viewthere through as seen on line 2, 2 of Fig. 1

Referring to the drawings in which-similar reference numerals designate"corresponding views, 1 indicates a housing which is preferablyrectangular in general outline and constructed of sheet metal, saidhousing having a removable cover 2, said cover havw ing dependingflanges 3 which engage the upper edge of the housing and hold th anduseful Improvements the casing inclosing generating fluid into the partsthroughout the several- I thereto which leads cover in suitable pointwithin the housing 1 and above the lower edge thereof is a partition 4,which partition. is supported on suitable Patented-Feb. 22, 1916.

position thereon. Positioned at a brackets 5 carried by the Walls of thehousing, said partition being spaced from the walls of the housing toprovide air pas-.

sages 6, said air passages entirely surrounding the partition. Restingupon the partition 4 and adjacent the longitudinal edge thereof aretubes 7, at both ends and are adapted to be used as storage tanks forthe gases, said tubes having pipe sections 8 connected therewith, theupper endsof said tubular retort chamber 9 which is preferablypositioned adjacent the upper edge of the housing 1 and substantially inline with the longitudinal axial center thereof and midway between thetubes 7. The tubes 7 and pipe sections 8 form supports for the retortchamber. 7 I

The retort chamber 9 is provided with cross heads 10 and immediatelybelow the cross heads are burners 12, the tending into the pipe 13 oftheburners exretort chamber 9 at points beyond the cross heads 10, theupper ends 14 of the pipes 13 projecting through the retort chamber to apoint adjacent the upper wall surface thereof'so as to prevent the gasproducing fluid from entering said pipe should an unusual quantity ofthe fluid be entered into theretort chamber. The ends 15 of the pipes 8arelikewise extended upwardly a distance above the lowermost surbut saidends 15 face of the retort chamber are not extended as high as the ends14, so that should the gas producing fluid be entered into the retortchamberfaster than it is converted into gas, it will flow into the saidtubes being closed positioned the tip ends 11 ofpipe sections entering atubes 7 before reaching the top of the ends 14. The gas producing fluidis conducted into the retort chamber 9 through a feed.

pipe 16 which terminates in a T-head 17 beyondthe wall of the housing 1,one terminal of the T-head having a pipe 18 attached to any form ofsupply tank (not shown), a valve 19 being em ployed to control the flowof the fluid into I the feed p p The opposite terminal of the T-head hasan extension pipe 20 attached thereto which extends through one wall ofthe housing and into position over a generating pan 21, said pan beingformed by depressing, a portion of the partition l, preferably at thelongitudinal center of the partition, so that a quantity of the gasproducing fluids may be entered into the pan and ignitedto properlypreheat the retort chamber 9 previous to admitting the gas producingfluid into the retort chamber.

In order to retain the iiuid'in the generating pan and prevent rapidconsumption thereof when ignited, a sectionof asbestos 22, or othernon-inflammable porous substance is placed into the generating pan whichabsorbs the fluid and causes the same to burn slowly. The admission ofthe fluid through the extension pipe -20 is controlled through themedium of the valve :23 intersecting the extension pipe 20 beyond theend of the T-head 17 The number of cross heads 10 and burners 12 isdetermined by the size of the space to be heated as but one burner maybe used or any number thereof used. It will also be understood that allthe burners may be provided with a controlling valve 24, although in thepresent lnstance, but one, of the burners is shown supplied with avalve.

The partition 4L is provided immediately below the burners with draftopenings 25 and the side and end Walls of thehousing are likewiseprovided with vents 26 through which air may enterthe housing and causeproper combustion of the gases below the retort chamber, these openingsalso allowing for expansion of the gases as well as the proper mixing ofthe air to complete the combustion.

In order to allow for the sudden expansion of the gases above theburners, the top of the cover 2 is bowed upwardly, as shown at 27 andsaid bowed up portions are provided with openings 28 and29 which arearranged in series, any preferred number of,

the openings being employed.

In operation thevalves 19 and 23 are opened and a quantity of gasproducing fluid admitted into the generating pan 21 when the valves areagain closed and the fluid ignited in the pan. The heat from the burningfluid will superheat the retort chamber 9 and when the gas producingfluid is introduced thereinto will convert the same into a gas so as tocause the same to flow through the burner, and when ignited at the tipend of the burner the flame therefrom will continue to generate gases solong ,as the valve 19 is open. and the fluid entered into the retortchamber.

By elevating the-ends of the various pipe sections entering the retortchamber to a point higher than. the lowest level of the retort chamber,the fluid entered intothe, retort chamber will. be converted into gas 1before it reaches a height to enter the ends of the pipes under allordinary circum-' stances and by providing the tubes 7"the gases, ifproduced faster than consumed, will enter said tubes and compresstherein, thereby storinga 1 sufficient amount of the I gases to cause aneven pressurethrough theis positioned, and also byprovidingthe, va.-

rious openings and'vents, the proper amount. of air will be entered intothe housing to cause proper combust onof the gases, and 1twill likewisebe seen that this devicevcanbe used in connection. withany suitable formof furnace, stove, or other heating apparatus, or can be set up and usedindependently thereof if desired.

Having thus fully described my invention what 11' claim as new-anddesireito secure: by LettersPatent is I 1. A heater, comprising a retortchamber, cross heads connected tosaid retort chamber,

means to conveygasproducing fluid into-said 5 retort chamber, a pair ofstorage tubes in. a 7

plane below said retort chamber and on oppoe site. sides thereof, pipesections connecting said tubes with the retort chamber, the ends of thepipe sections projecting a distance into the retort chamber, andburnersconnected to said retort chamber, said burners having; 1 6

of their ends entered in said retort chamber and extended upwardly toapoint adjacent, the top of said retortchamber, the opposite ends ofsaid burners terminatingzbelowther cross heads.

2. A heater, comprising a retort chamber having cross heads in itsvlength,- means to convey a gas producingmedium intothe-re-v tortchamber, a burner ad'acent. eachend of the retort chamber, one end ofthe-burner entering said retort chamber and extending to. a pointadjacent theupper face thereof, the opposite ends of said burnersterminating below said cross heads, and storage tubes:- connected tosaid retort chamber and forming a support therefor.

3. A heater,-compr-ising a retort chamber, a pair of tubes below-and onopposite sides of the retort chamber, pipes connecting-said, tubes withthe retort chamber, said pipes and tubes forming a support 'fortheretort chamber, a housing, a partition in the (hous tition beingspaced from the walls of the.

housing to provide air passages, a cover for sald housing havingupwardlybowed portions, said bowed portions having series of openingstherethrough, and burners attached to said retort chamber.

4. In a heater, the combination with a retort chamber and burnersattached thereto, of a housing, a partition in said housing positionedabove the lower edge thereof and spaced from the Walls of the housing toform a passage, and a cover having upwardly Copies 01' thil patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, I). C. i

bowed portions at a ers, said bowed therethrough.

In testimony whereof I aifix point above said burnportions havingopenings my signature in the presence of two witnesses on this the firstday of February, nineteen hundred and fifteen.

Witnesses:

CORA' FRANK,

M. E. MILES.

Commissioner of Patents,

DR. 0. s. FRANK.

